hi i have a 14 month old boxer who has previously gone to puppy classes, and will be attending a companion dog course at the end of october. (hopefully!) the thing is is that he's ok at home (but needs to be told more than once to sit etc) but he's a nightmare on walks.
i get reall fed up as it doesnt matter how many times i call him back to me, when i've let him off his lead, he will only return when HE'S had enough! if theres another dog/cyclist/jogger etc then he runs off and i or my husband have to go and get him back. i'm trying to get him to come back when i blow the dog whistle (which is a recent investment!) and obviously reward him on his return! i found clicker training did'nt work for us. my husband never used to be firm with the commands as i was, and i think thats where the problems started. he realises now though as he went away recently and on his return, realised just how much top dog our bruno thinks he is! he's being firm with him now too, is it a little late to try again, though?

Hi I dont think its ever to late to train dogs but once a habit is there it may take longer to change it, and you have to be strong willed. The recall is something people with young dogs work on ( at least I do) for ages. If he chooses to obey or not at home he will please himself outside as you discovered. If he ever growls or snaps at you when given a command I would get a behaviourist to support you. Its not too late to change things but you need to be consistent and committed. He needs to know your in charge of all the things he needs - food, toys, territory, sleeping places etc. and realising this will probably be a great relief to him as most dogs are not natural leaders but fill a gap sensed at home. If he dosent come back dont let him off the lead, if he pulls, stop walking till he stops it - dont allow him to disobey until he has accepted you are making the decisions. A behaviourist will be able to assess you all and help you work through a program using whatever motivates Bruno. The APDT website can show you who is in your area. :)

Hi

I'm not an expert or anything, but the subject of recall came up at our puppy class last night. The trainer said that if the dog runs off you should only ever call it by it's name once after that you can make noises but never call their name again. If you keep calling it then all you're doing is telling him where you are and he knows he can come back and find you when he wants to. If you don't call then in the back of his mind there's the doubt that maybe you might have left and gone without him.

She said to just stay in the same location as they will only come back after they've done what they want to. The same goes for chasing after them.

She also said that whilst you're on walks you should try and hide behind trees so they come and find you and also throw the ball one way and then turn round and walk the other. Then when they've got the ball they turn round and you're walking off and it panics them. She reckons that by doing this they'll always want to keep an eye on you in case you walk off instead of the other way round!

Hi,
It should not be too difficult to train your dog to recall to a whistle. My suggestion is to have the whistle on a cord round your neck plus a pocketful of special treats all the time, indoors and in the garden. Whistle at random times both when the dog is in sight and out of sight, ie in a different room. If he returns reward with a special treat that he does not get at any other time. When you are on walks do not let him off lead. Use a retractable lead and, when he gets a little distance from you, whistle and, if he returns, reward with a "recall" treat. Do this many times during the walk. It can take ages to get a decent recall so patience is required. Please do not let him off lead until the recall is good otherwise there could be unfortunate consequences.
For the problem of having to repeat commands, eg 'sit', go back to puppy basics - food on the nose and one command only. It is often worthwhile to go back a few steps in training when things start to go wrong.

thank you all for your helpful advice. im trying to be much sterner with him, and am letting him know whose the boss!!!! i will try all the things you have mentioned, and will consider a behavourist if things dont improve.
he bites/becomes aggressive when we try to move him from our bed/the sofa, and when my husband leaves for work. he becomes really protective over him and bites/growls/barks until he's left the house! perserverence is the key i guess!
again many thanks!!!!!

If Bruno is biting you and controlling your space get a behaviourist in ASAP as things have gone so far you will need help to turn it around - please don't be offended at this I just think these problems sound serious.

Fourpaws, i don't think being stern with him is working and if it becomes confrontational, as your later post suggests, with both trying to "win", then no-one is enjoying the situation and beind stern isn't working. Owners do sometimes need to know when to "insist", but being able to do this in a way that the dog understands and that is easy for you is where the trainer comes in :)

I doubt if Bruno thinks he is top dog at all - i just think he either doesnt understand because he hasn't been trained (for example, it is possible to train even a growly dog to get off the sofa on command) or because things tend to get confrontational and therefore escalate.

Running off and ignoring recall is something we all go through at various times, it isn't because hubby isnt strict enough, it is what happens and only consistent training will win through.

I would suggest looking at www.apdt.co.uk as has been mentioned and finding a trainer who can help you :)

Good luck

Lindsay

Hi
I have two young boxer boys and i know just what you are going through!
My boys are much better at recall after many hours of training, but if they do decide to ignore me (which they do sometimes!) i find running in the opposite direction helps!!
I don't know if its just my boys but boxers are very good at selective deafness and being the most ignorant dogs in the world!! (but thats why we love them!!)

again thanks for the recent suggestions! he is getting better at returning to me when i blow the whistle, i try it when he's in the garden and want him in the house. things are going okay perserverence i guess! after chatting to a few of my boxer pals it does seem that some of his traits are a common occurance with the breed though!!!! i'm still going to take him back to puppy classes to see if we can try again and start with some of the basics, me and my husband were wondering if perhaps it was a good idea to get a rescue boxer one whom is a little older, which may help stop bruno from being bored and destructive at home (he chews my cupbaords/empties them etc!) and to help sort the hierachy of things. although i do realise this isnt the answer to some of his behaviour and that a firm consistent attitude is whats required! thought it may be good for bruno what do you guys think?
nikki (fourpaws)

I really do not think that getting another Boxer would be a good idea at this stage. Get Bruno sorted out first, otherwise you could just end up with double the trouble. You need to get him to realise that he is subordinate to you - not to give him another dog to boss around. An older dog is not necessarily dominant over a younger one.

Is he left alone indoors with the run of the house? If so you need to consider confining him, with a crate or baby gates, to prevent him being destructive. If you feel that the problem is boredom try a treat ball or a Kong stuffed with treats to keep him occupied for a while. Any dog, particularly a Boxer, can become bored and destructive if left alone for long periods of time. It is not fair on such a people focussed breed.

Does he get a lot of walking and running outside? A tired dog is a good dog!

I am pleased you are having success with his recall, and it is an excellent idea to go back to basic training.

Just found this thread, silly question I know, but I suppose the fact that he wont listen is not because he is deaf. Don't expect so as Boxers are a handful and a half anyway but it could be, particularly if he is white.

Hi Nikki good to hear your having success with the whistle. I wouldnt get another dog at this point either. You can sort out the hierarchy at home by using the crate/gate as suggested to control his access to the house, eat first and dont leave his food down all the time. If hes chewing you could try putting his food in a big Kong ( or 10!) to let him chew and work his brain in a good way. Classes are good and remember to practice in between. It must be a relief to hear Bruno is a typical boxer. Keep at it and keep posting! :)

Try using Bitter Apple, oil of cloves or Vicks on stuff he likes to chew :) and as suggested, provide him with chew toys.

Hth a bit

Lindsay